kjackson

In order to avoid work or doing anything useful, I did a quick search on Craigslist to see if there have been major changes since yesterday. I hit the Des Moines list and then moved into Wisconsin... there are a few deep-vee hulls and while I didn't see any 1775 Impacts, I did see a few used (like two or three) boats of similar size that weren't Lunds. I looked at Appleton, Green Bay and LaCrosse. I've owned three Lunds and love the way they are designed. However, in recent years, there has been a LOT of trouble with the transoms. A friend had to have his redone under warranty, and he lost the use of his boat for something like six months. And now he has taken it back to Lund for more repairs. Don't know what the latest issue is, but it makes Crestliner and Alumacraft look good.

Very cool. Some of that stuff I recognize--the Perrine boxes if they're not Wheatley's, and I still have and use some of the lead wire on those small spools. I've been the lucky recipient of fly-fishing gifts from folks who knew I was addicted. I have several old flies in packages that I need to do something with besides leave in their cellophane jail cells. One guy gave me his fly-tying kit that he had been given when he was in hospital recovering from wounds in WWII. While the feathers were pretty much toast, I did get a Thompson A and a lot of hooks packaged with government labels covering the originals from Alcock's and others. And one friend I took fishing hit a garage/estate sale and bought the fly stuff and gave me all the tying material. Considering the previous owner had prepped materials for a lot of flies and had his recipes and instructions along with the materials, it was a hit. The only problem is that I have more material and stuff than I can ever use unless I turn commercial--which would limit my fishing time.

You might try searchtempest.com. I've used it to look at specific brands of boats. You indicate the distance you are willing to travel and then check each of the cities it lists in its results. I've been on the same quest-- I want a walleye boat, but a smaller one than you're after. What I'm finding now is that they are not many of 'em available. Part of that is seasonal, and part of it is the boom in folks buying boats because of the pandemic. Marine companies are doing a land-office business. Good luck.

-13 in Clinton. I'm tired of this winter. We have to go to the cabin to check on things soon, but I'm wondering if we can do the hill on the entry road even with 4x4.

This image is a wee bit shaky--too much caffeine I guess-- but you get the general idea. I've tried a number of the usual patterns, like Wooly Worm and various hackle patterns, but none of them look that impressive. Dunno, y'know. I'm after inspiration.

Looking for suggestions. I have a bunch--several hundred at least-- #4 offset sprout hooks. Think offset bass hooks and you'll get the idea. They are the old high-quality Fenwick hooks which are superb if you're fishing with really small plastics. However, I'd rather use them for flies and am looking for suggestions. The problem I have with them is that the shank between the bend and the eye is fairly short, so it's difficult to tie a decent wing. I've played with a couple of things back in cutthroat country, but they weren't stellar. Now that I'm not fishing for trout, help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Today, February 1, Johnny Morris announced a new bass team tournament trail for amateurs--no pros allowed. It is a family-oriented event. The trail has half a dozen tourneys scattered around the country and culminates in a championship event on Table Rock. It is the Bass Pro Shops' US Open (you can get a link on the BPS site after 11 am today). The highlights: all entry fees will go to habitat and conservation and the championship team will win $1 million in cash. Total payout for the trail events will be $4.3 million. The top 40 teams in each event will win spots in the championship. There is no initial event in Missouri or Arkansas. Grand Lake is the closest if I remember the map correctly.

Thanks; I appreciate that. Now to get busy.

Sold.

Out of curiosity-- are there images of these jigs? I'm getting back into tying--both jigs and flies and could use inspiration.

This is not about BPS. Got a report yesterday from buds in Europe that Rather Outdoors is working to buy Zebco. Rather Outdoors is the new name for the company that owns Strike King, Lew's and Salmo. I'm surprised at this as Lew's has a fairly good position with its rods and reels, and it seems like adding the Quantum brand (assuming it's part of the sale and wouldn't be spun off) would make them compete against each other. But then, what do I know about high finance? The Zebco range would be a good fit, though.

No, and I just checked.

Will do...

The Cabela's reel and radio are both gone. And I have more reels to add at some point.

If you are heading to the Keys or doing any wet wading this summer, you'll not find a better shoe than the Simms. These are size 13, and you could probably manage with a size 12 foot. They are higher than your ankle and have a soft cuff to seal out sand and dirt and stuff you don't want inside. The good news is that they're new. I've tried them on for the product review I was writing but have not worn them wading. There are no wear marks or scuffs from being packed and moved twice, and the only negative I can see is a slight discoloration on the top of the cuff. I'll take $50 with a pick-up in Clinton or Warsaw. I'll ship the buggers, but I'm thinking that will run another $30 or so. And with the way the USPS has been working, it would probably take two months to get to you. Here's a link to the newest version of the shoe: https://www.simmsfishing.com/shop/mens/wading-boots/flats-sneaker-s19 One more thing: while the new version may accept studs, this pair is not set up that way. The soles are siped and appear to be about as non-slip as you can get.

It was filmed in Eugene, Ore., site of the University of Oregon.

So here is the net-- it's a Frabill Bearclaw that I'd like to get $25 for, plus shipping. Pick up would be a better deal. Did I mention that it's unused?

So much for "ambitious" as noted earlier. However, the radio and the Cabela's line counter are gone. If I can avoid the "I need help" syndrome that hits around Christmas, I'll post images today of a Frabill folding kayak net that is unused, a pair of Simms wading shoes (size 13) that are designed for fishing the flats and a bow-mount Motorguide Great White hand-control trolling motor. If I get really ambitious, I'll also list a transom-mount Great White. And I still have more reels to list as well. Then there are some Humminbird depthfinders...

Thanks. Now all I have to do is get things together. I figure white and chartreuse are naturals for the major colors.

It's a slower-action rod...rather than the "fast" ones that were hot a few years back. These rods were never sold in the U.S. I got them when Tom Bedell was onto the "world is our marketplace" giving folks the ability to access any Pure Fishing products sold anywhere in the world. So, what I have is the Iron Feather IFF 140-9/10-3E rod, a 14-foot for a 9 or 10 line. I should add that the Iron Feather line used either Aramid or Kevlar scrim in the blanks.

Back in the day when I was flyfishing more than attending classes at UM--the real one for you Missouri folks-- I could almost shoot the whole line on my little Orvis Fullflex 5-weight. And considering that the Clark Fork River ran along one side of campus, it's a wonder I graduated. I've got a stripping basket and have used it, but when I was fishing the saltchuck in Washington, I started using one of those collapsible laundry baskets in my boat. That worked better than the strap-on kind. But still the blasted line would occasionally tangle up in there with the whole thing shooting out in a wad. Lefty Kreh had a suggestion that I've yet to try, but probably will this next year. He simply spread a net bag out around him in the boat and stripped his line on that. The net kept the line from looping around stuff in the boat. It makes sense to me, but like I said, I've yet to try it.

I've got a lefthand-crank Charlton fly reel with spare spool I'll let go for $2K... Seriously, I'm trying to triage gear in order to put it on the block. There are 20 reels trying to convince me they need to stay in the lineup, and since none of the previous offering sold, they may be safe for now. I do have a Humminbird with GPS (external receiver) that will be showing soon. I'd do rods, but shipping is an issue on them, with the exception of two Euro-style Fenwick spey fly rods that I would happily ship.

The radio is gone, pending pick up.

I saw the Bulkhead in some videos, and I am going to tie it as well. So 34007-- what sizes are you running? The only problem I have with my flies is that I have a bunch of saltwater flies from the PNW, and I hate to ignore them entirely. If I blend those in, I'd need a couple of mega-boxes...but I guess that can make it fun.

Saw a friend's FB post on his epic pike fishing, and watched the way the fly he was using would do the walk-the-dog below the surface on the retrieve. Since one of my delayed fishing goals is to get back into fly fishing and fly tying with an eye to whites/hybrids/stripers/anything that swims, I asked him about the fly as it was a new pattern to me. He sent me a couple of links and then a pair of flies he tied . There are quite a few videos on Youtube on the Buford, and that will be my next tying project-- which suits considering the type of year we're having. Here's a link: Having said that, my friend ties these flies mainly for pike, but he's also caught just about everything else. He's tying them in pike sizes--six inches long at least--but I'm shooting for four inches.